Sounding device.



Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY SOUNDIN G DEVICE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

DONALD B. FERGUSON, or AURORA, MINNESOTA.

Application filed March 6, 1911. Serial N 0. 612,694.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD B. FnncusoN, a citizen of the United States; residing at Aurora, in the county of St. 'l ouis and State of Minnesota,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sounding Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being'had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in sounding devices used in navigation.

The object of my invention is to provlde a device of this character which will by contact with the bottom of the river or body of water cause a signal or alarm to operate toindicate that the same is on the bottom, thus not depending upon the sense of feeling as is the case with sounding devices now in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric sounding device,rwhereby any considerable motion imparted to the same will be signaled to show that 1t has struck some obstruction, or the bottom, the distance having no eliectupon the sounding device.

A still further object of my invention is vto provide a more simple, cheap and effective sounding device having certain details of structure hereinafter more fully pointed out. x

In the accompanying drawingsFigure -1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved sounding device coupled to an electric bell. Fig. 2 is a view showing the device used as a sounding device for boats.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 repre-v sents the main b dy portion of my improved sounder and is section 2, screwed within the body-portion and the lower weighted section .3, also screwed into the body portion and forming water-tight jointsbetween the same. The body portion is formed with the chamber 4 therein, in which is arranged the metal bellshaped casino; 5. spaced from thebody portion 1 bv suitable rubber gasketsor rings 6 electricallv insulating the same from the body-portion and also from the point .3 and the divisional plate 7 of the body-portion. and said bell-sha ed casing is-firmlv held in the body-portion by the point 3 when the same is screwed into the said bodvportion. The divisional wall or plate 7 is formed within the body 1 just above the provided with the upperupper end of the casing 5 through which extends a small rod 8 to the lower end of which is attached the tongue or clapper, 9 suspended within the casing 5, but which does not normally engage or electrically contact the casing in any way. This rod 8 in passing through the division wall 7 is Patented Mar. 4, 1913. I

made water-tight by means of a suitable stufiing gland 8. An insulated wire 10 also passes through the division wall 07 and is preferably made tight therethrough by means of a suitable stuffing gland 10, the lower end of the w'irebeing connected to the side wall of the casing 5, as at 11. A second insulated wire 12 is connected to the upper end of the rod 8 and it, together with the wire 10 extends upwardly, the two wires being united and forming the core of a suitable cable 13 which extends through the cap 2 and within the chamber'l l formed between the division 7 and the recessed cap 2. Within the chamber 14 and attached to the division wall 7, are suitable eye-bolts 15 to which the outer strands 16 of the cable 13. may be' attached for the purpose of -suspendingthe plumb and insuring no strain coming upon the wire connections above described. The joint between the cable and the cap 2 is W ade water-tight by means of a suitable stutling gland 17 which may be made in a large measure to act as the gripping means in binding the cable 13 to the plumb in addition to fastening the outer strands 16 above described. I I 7 As is evident, the cable 13 may be any desired'length and the electric wires carried to any desired location and the latter are connected to a suit-able battery 18 andrbell 19 forming a complete electric circuit broken normally only within the casing 53, as one wire terminates in the clapper 9 and the other in thecasing 5 Thus it is seenthat at my time when the plumbis thrownconfl slde ably out of plumb anyaction what-f soever, the tori'ga'le or: clapperje will eng ge the innerwall of the casing andthus close the electric circuit and caHseLthebell tolring or operate whatever signaling device is made use of. When used as a 'sounding'device, contact with the bottom will cause the plumb to tip and the signal be given as above described, which at once isseen to be a great convenience, as it is an exceedingly hard matter to detect the bottom when using a long line with a common sounder.

It is evident that there are ma ny other uses to which the device may be put, such, as the registering or recording of objects passing it and in turn causing the plumb to "tip slightly and many alterations in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat'- ent is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a receptacle having an open lower end, a conducting casing within the receptacle'and insulated therefrom, a plug,

the upper end of the receptacle and carrying the combined supporting and electric cable, a clapper pivoted in the partition, a conducting casing in the lower end of the receptacle surrounding the clapper and insulated from the receptacle, a plug screwed in the lower end of the receptacle andholding the casing therein and insulated therefrom, and an partition, a conduc i ng e surrounding. the clapelectrical circuit having the wires connected to the clapper and casing substantially as shown. 3. device of the characterv described, comprlsmg a receptacle havinga partition intermediate its ends, a c ap screwed into the upper end of the receptacle, a cable'passing through thecap, a packing gland looking the cable to the cap, eyes carried bythe partition and to which the winding of the cable is attached, a clapper pivoted in the casing in the lower end of the receptac per and havinginsulatingpacking .rlngs spacing it from the receptacle, a plug screwed into the receptacle and engaging an insulatingring and holding the casing therein, an. electric-insulated wire ofalcir: cult passmg through the partition and secured to the casing, a second insulated wire 7 connected to the clapper co-nnection, saidig wires passing through the cable, and an indicator in circuit with said wires.'

4. A device of the character described, comprising a plummet having a sealed chamber within its body, a circuit closer within said chamber comprising a movable member suspended+from the top ofsaid chamber and terminating atits free lower end above the *bottom of the latter and a fixed member comprising an inner casing surrounding said movable member and of substantially the same dimensions as said chamber andinsulated from the walls thereof, said movable member extending downwardly into the fixed member through the top thereof and terminal connections from said circuit closer to the exterior of said plummet.

5. A device of the class described comprising a body provided with a chamber open at one end, means closing such open end, a fi'xedmember ofa circuit closer held in the chamber solely by said means and insulated from the chamber, a movable circuitv closer member extending into the chamher in cooperative relation to said fixed member, and c1rcu1t wires connected w1th the said members.

- 6. A device -ofvthe class described comprising a body provided with a chamber open at one end, ahollow metallic member disposed in and insulated from the walls of the chamber, means closing the end of the chamber and holding the said member therein, .a movable member extending into the ,chamberyand into the said hollow member to form therewith a circuit closer, and cir cuit wires connected-with the said members.

. 7 A device of the class described comprising a body provided with a chamber and made in two sections rendering the chamber accessible, a hollow metallic member in the chamber, insulating elements surrounding the said member, insulating elements clamped between the ends of said member and walls of the chamber bythe securing of t-hesections together, a movable member extending into the chamber and into the said fixed member to form with the latter'a circuit closer,- and circuit wires" connected with the said members,

In testimony whereof signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

V DONALD B. FERGUSON..

- Witnesses: I 1

P. M.-.JonNso I hereunto aflix my 

